1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a navigation apparatus and method such as an on-vehicle navigation apparatus, and relates to a computer program product for the navigation. More particularly, it relates to a navigation and apparatus for and method of performing a route search by means of a mail feature or function on the navigation, and relates to a computer program product for performing the navigation processings.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, a navigation apparatus, especially an on-vehicle navigation apparatus, is widely spread and still in progress from day to day. The navigation apparatus displays a current position of a navigation object such as a vehicle on one's own, on a display device such as a display, on the basis of map data stored in a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM, and provides various features or functions such as a route guidance, a route search and so on. In order to obtain the current position of the object, typically, either or both of a self-contained system and a GPS (Global Positioning System) system is/are used. The self-contained system determines or measures the current position of the object, only on the basis of information from sensors disposed at the navigation object, for sensing various parameters such as velocity, azimuth (direction) and so on. On the other hand, the GPS system determine or measures the current position by receiving measurement data transmitted from a plurality of satellites.
On the other hand, in the route search for example, a route search feature as a usual feature is typically achieved on the basis of position information that the navigation apparatus possesses. As a further improvement, a navigation apparatus is developed in which the position information is read as text information from a map image and then the route search is performed on the basis of the text information, or in which the route search is performed on the basis of a predetermined character string data on Internet (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2001-255160 and 2001-141501, for example).